Children's council to vote on land buy, building

One member wants lower price negotiated on site

The Children's Services Council of Broward County will vote today on whether to spend $8 million to buy land and build a 31,500-square-foot headquarters in Lauderhill.

The decision could bring an end to the 11-member council's search for a permanent home, but at least one council member is poised to vote against it, questioning whether the price for the two-acre property is too high.

The council, one of the county's 89 special taxing districts, was created by Broward voters in 2000 to coordinate and fund children's programs. The council receives a little less than 2 cents for every dollar paid in property taxes. Its budget for the upcoming fiscal year will be about $66 million, down from $70 million.

The group's president said it's more cost-effective to own a building, rather than continue paying $430,000 in rent annually for office space off West Cypress Creek Road. If approved, the new building would be completed by next June along West Commercial Boulevard, just east of North University Drive.

"It's a very modest, friendly, serviceable building meant to serve a community function," said council President Cindy Arenberg Seltzer. "It's not a palace."

But council member Terry Santini said she's firmly against entering into the multimillion-dollar deal with NICO Development, a land development and construction company from Wilton Manors. She questions if the cost of the land can be lowered.

"I am for us having a building, but I think the price [for the land] we are considering is overstated and should be reduced," she said. Santini said she would like the council to hold off on a vote and renegotiate a lower price.

Arenberg Seltzer said that outside experts - including the Broward School Board's Project Management Department - have indicated that it's a good buy. She said it will cost about $1.5 million to purchase the land.

The deal would call for the council to put $2.5 million in an escrow fund and then pay the full amount once the building is completed. She said the council has been setting aside the $8 million over the last five years.

The council has about 50 employees. Arenberg Seltzer said building space will be leased to the Broward Healthy Start Coalition and the Early Learning Coalition of Broward County. There also will be public meeting rooms and a computer lab.

The council is scheduled to meet at 9 a.m. today in Suite 3000 at 6301 NW Fifth Way, Fort Lauderdale.

Jon Burstein can be reached at jburstein@sun-sentinel.com or 954-356-4491.